Writer’s Showcase: Karen Eisenbrey

Genre: High Fantasy and Comic Urban Fantasy.

Background: I have always loved stories and wanted to be a writer from an early age. In college I was an English major, but after I graduated, I had no ideas and didn’t write much of anything until the “chaos years” when my kids were small. Once I had kids it seemed like a good idea to just start writing. A fateful dream with two wizards and three plot twists sent me into the fantasy genre.

Writing Highlight: my first published novel, The Gospel According to St. Rage, is a book about a girl who starts a garage band and gains superpowers; that book actually got me writing songs! I’ve always sung but I’d never had much success with songwriting. Writing this book I discovered that if I wrote songs from the point of view of my protagonist, I was more successful.

Next Project: I am pegging away at the third Daughter of Magic book in my fantasy trilogy. The first two are Daughter of Magic and Wizard Girl.

To follow Karen’s blog: https://kareneisenbreywriter.com/blog/

Or you could connect with her as I first did, on Twitter: @KarenEisenbry

She also has a nice page featuring not just her novels, but all the anthologies she’s contributed to: https://kareneisenbreywriter.com/my-books/

A note about Karen is that she has contributed to a number of anthologies; in fact it was the Paws and Claws anthology from Cake & Quill which first caught my eye. This is one of nine (and counting) anthologies that Karen has contributed to!

Cake & Quill, 03/17

Proceeds from Paws and Claws go to Bob’s House for Dogs, which offers hospice care for elderly dogs.

Not a Pipe Publishing, 11/18

Note Karen is featured as the writer on the top margin, left, on the cover of Strongly Worded Women.

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Book Four: Deadman’s Christmas

Book Four: Deadman’s Christmas

For years, siblings Annie and Luke Hunter have enjoyed their frontier Christmas with only Annie’s fiance, Joseph Peopeo. This year their family has grown and they’ve decided to share Christmas traditions with their ranch foreman Henry Little Light, friend Doc Johnson, and Doc’s daughter Caroline. As they make preparations for their celebration some of the women from the saloon have set their sights on Henry. What the siblings hadn’t counted on? The price they’ve put on Henry’s head: one wanting him to wed, the other wanting him just dead. There might not be enough ribbon and strung popcorn in all of Deadman’s to brighten this holiday.

With the tensions from town and the holidays rising, will the whole crew be alive when Christmas morning dawns on the ranch?

Book Three: Deadman’s Preacher

 

Siblings Annie and Luke Hunter along with their friends Henry Little Light and Joseph Peopeo are in attendance at the annual fall barn dance – along with the entire community of the town of Deadman’s – when the traveling preacher who offers church services every month collapses. Doc Johnson finds the man has been poisoned. But who would want to poison a traveling preacher?

Meanwhile, the community of cattle ranchers is disturbed to find out that the preacher had been encouraging a sheep-farmer and his wife to move into their area, bringing sheep to the open grazing land where they keep cattle. Is this young couple connected to the preacher’s poisoning? If not, why do they lie about their connection to events? They’re hiding something but is it related to the reverend?

Henry, wanting to avoid an inquest where he’d have to give testimony that implicates Joseph in the poisoning, decides to visit his mother. On the way he discovers a recent widow, a wagon load of tobacco leaves, and a clue in the preacher’s poisoning. At the same time, the Captain in charge of the investigation begins to suspect that not only might Joseph be involved in the poisoning, he may be a romantic rival for Annie Hunter’s affection.

Danger grows around the friends as the possibility of Joseph being charged with a crime grows. If they can’t find the real reason – and person – responsible for the preacher’s death, then justice may go badly awry, taking Joseph with it.

 

Amazon Review

5 out of 5 stars

“It’s nice to read a book that includes diverse characters, strong women, good dialogue, and a compelling pace and plot line. Too often it seems that reading stories within a genre (historical, western, mystery, some romance) one has to give up on good writing. And if you’re lucky and find a fairly well written book, then it lacks authentic detail or just gets things wrong. This book is the full package. Plus, it’s a fun read with characters who are increasingly becoming like my friends. I not only enjoy knowing them but look forward to spending more time with them, so hopefully there will be many more books to come in this series.”

Order on Amazon

Book Two: Deadman’s Daughters

 

Doc Johnson, friend of siblings Annie and Luke Hunter, is happily, if nervously, awaiting the arrival of his daughter, Caroline. Doc hasn’t seen Caroline since he moved to Fort Laramie four years earlier. When Doc is attacked, Annie and Luke are worried but believe it must be a case of mistaken identity. While caring for Doc, the siblings are shocked when the attacker returns to try and finish him off.

 

As if keeping Doc alive isn’t challenge enough, Luke and Annie’s foster brother, Joseph Peopeo, has unexpected news that threatens to turn their lives upside-down. While the siblings juggle the tribulations they face, their hired hand, Henry Little Light, has his own struggle – trying to keep the ranch running among all the chaos. Henry feels forced to accept help from a neighbor the Hunters do not want to be indebted to. In addition, add a new would-be suitor for Annie and the family has their hands more than full.

 

Once again, the Hunters are involved in a face-off that could have deadly consequences.

 

Deadman’s Daughters: order